Western Carolina University

The Need for Scholarships Remains a College-Life Constant

A lot has changed since Barbara Capps earned a two-year degree from what was then Asheville Biltmore College (now the University of North Carolina-Asheville) in 1952. What has not changed is the need to help students cover their college expenses. “My parents didn’t have the money to go to college themselves. They really sacrificed to help me get that first degree,” Capps said. Now, with a bachelor’s degree from Florida State, an master’s degree from Western, an educational doctorate from Indiana University and a 40-year career in education, the Asheville native is making it easier for North Carolina families who face similar financial sacrifices.

In 2004, Capps established the Capps Family Memorial Scholarship to honor her parents and encourage students who share her interest in education.  She specified that candidates must have graduated with good grades from a high school in one of the state’s westernmost counties, have a strong interest in teaching middle grades, and truly need financial assistance.  The scholarship gives a boost to Western students who will become the next generation of teachers, Capps said.  “If you get them well-educated and well-prepared to teach, it’s like ripples in water.  You never know where their influence will end,” she said.

Committed to growing the Capps Family Scholarship with her own gifts, Capps, who retired after teaching at Western for 25 years, is pleased that others have told her they will add to it. “You don’t have to endow a scholarship to have an impact. Anything you can give is worthwhile,” she said.  Remembering her own early difficulties, she said, “We still have students who are first in their families to go to college.  Anything we can give them will help, and they will appreciate it.”